1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pivotal lever-type connector in which female and male connectors are fitted together by pivotally moving a pivotal lever.
2. Related Art
There is known one conventional pivotal lever-type connector having a pair of cancellation portions for elastically deforming elastic retaining piece portions of a pivotal lever (see, for example, JP-A-2003-264035 and JP-A-2003-264036).
In the pivotal lever-type connector disclosed in JP-A-2003-264035 and JP-A-2003-264036, a provisionally-fitting operation for fitting a male housing a predetermined depth into a female housing is effected before the female and male housings are completely fitted together. At the time of provisionally fitting the female and male housings together, a slanting surface of each cam groove is pressed by a corresponding cam pin entering an inlet of the cam groove, so that a component force is applied to the pivotal lever in a direction of pivotal movement thereof, and therefore the pivotal lever is pivotally displaced from an initial position toward a fitting position. When the pivotal lever is pivotally moved from the initial position toward the fitting position, an operating portion moves away from an outer surface of a hood portion, and projects laterally, and therefore the fact that the pivotal lever has been pivotally displaced can be clearly viewed and confirmed from the exterior. Then, when the female and male housings reach a provisionally-fitting depth, each cam pin abuts against a left arcuate surface, and therefore is prevented to a certain degree from further moving deeper. Even if the cam pin further moves deeper from this condition while the cam pin abuts against the arcuate surface, the pivotal lever is merely pivotally moved, and the fitting of the female and male housings will not proceed. Then, when the pivotal lever is pivotally moved into a predetermined position, each cam pin abuts against a projecting portion, and therefore the pivotal lever is prevented from being further pivotally moved, thereby preventing the cam pin from being displaced toward a curved surface. Each projecting portion has a mountain-like shape having two slanting side surfaces, and therefore in the provisionally-fitted condition, when an operating force of above a predetermined value is applied to the pivotal lever to pivotally move this pivotal lever toward the fitting position, the cam pin slides over the projecting portion to be displaced toward the curved surface. Thus, each cancellation portion is brought into engagement with a hook portion of the corresponding elastic retaining piece portion to elastically deform the elastic retaining piece portion outwardly, and also the hook portion is disengaged from the retaining portion, thus canceling the retained condition of the pivotal lever. In the condition in which the cam pin abuts against the slanting surface, the fitting operation further proceeds, so that the slanting surface is pressed by the cam pin, and therefore the pivotal lever is pivotally displaced from the initial position toward the fitting position.
Incidentally, in recent years, a pivotal lever made of a thin metal sheet has been used because of a compact design of connectors. Elastic retaining piece portions as disclosed in the above JP-A-2003-264035 and JP-A-2003-264036 can be provided at such a metal-made pivotal lever. However, such elastic retaining piece portions are formed by stamping relevant portions out of a pivotal lever body and then by raising these stamped-out portions. Therefore, when a fitting operation and a fitting cancellation operation are repeatedly effected, the elastic retaining piece portions are susceptible to permanent set in fatigue. And besides, a metallic operating portion of the pivotal lever is touched with the fingers of the operator, and therefore is liable to be rusted.